A Great Isotonic Exercise
- The Rope Pull

The Rope Pull is an isotonic
exercise
taken from Charles Atlas's
original mail order course from the 1930's. Isotonic exercises differ
from isometrics in that they involve movment. This exercise proved
effective for
Charles Atlas's many students, and I
think you'll find it effective as well.

How to perform
this Bodyweight Exercise

To perform this isotonic exercise do the following:

Take a deep breath and raise both your hands
above your head.

Clasp your hands together as if you were
holding onto a rope.

As you exhale, pull your hands downward, as if
you were pulling down on
a rope. Tense your chest muscles as you do so.

When you reach the bottom, pause for a second
and then raise your hands
again. Take a deep inhale as you raise your hands up above your head.
Pretend you are holding onto a rope the whole way.

How I Perform
this Exercise

I like to perform 10 repetitions of this exercise with my right hand
over my left, and then another 10 with my hands reversed (left hand
over right). As I'm "pulling down" on the imaginary rope, I also force
my bottom hand to resist the downward motion of my top hand. This
really helps to work your chest.

Two Variations

Charles Atlas actually has two versions of this exercise. When he was
selling his course, you could buy a short version instead of the whole
product called "10 Steps to a Better Body". In this book he starts with
his hands above his head as I am showing you here. In his full course,
which I also own, he begins with his hands grasping the rope at eye
level. I've tried both versions of this isometrics exercise and I
prefer to start with my hands above my head. Try it both ways to
determine what works best for you. Let me know how it goes.

Two More Things To Check Out

If you are
interested in reading more about the original Charles Atlas Dynamic
Tension System, check out my review here.
If you are interested in a modern course made up of true isotonic
exercises check out my program of POWER
ISOTONICS. It is available as a digital download or from
Amazon.com. Check it out today!